Tell Tale Heart Analysis

In the deposition, Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator describes his thoughts leading up to, during, and after the murder of the caretaker. I believe my client is not guilty by reason of insanity. The first account shows that the narrator has “heard things in heaven and in the Earth”. What sort of sane man can hear things of celestial being? He believes that this “disease” has sharpened his senses, not dulled them. Here he is openly saying he is ill. In his retelling of his story, in paragraph three, he states “I put in a lantern all closed.” This further proves that he is not in his right mind because it is completely illogical to bring a lantern if one does not use it. The narrator also explains his reason for the crime he committed; the old man’s eye sent chills down his spine and vexed him whenever the old man’s gaze fell upon the narrator. A person who is mentally healthy does not kill someone for the sole reason of their eye, showing beyond doubt that this man should not be held responsible on the account of him being mad. While committing this felony, the narrator was convinced that the beating of the old man’s heart would be heard by a neighbor. This does not make any sense as

He assured himself that this was yet again the beating of the old man’s heart, the one who has already been dead for quite some time. This would make sense to someone who is sane and can tell that dead men have no pulse but the narrator then went on as to say that the police officers were in on it, that they too could hear the sound and were just “making a mockery of my horror”. The narrator is profoundly insane but delusional as well. In paragraph 17 he says, “How could they not hear it?” He truly trusts himself when he hears the beating heart, ultimately leading up to his downfall when he admits the crime. This man has perpetrated a crime but should not be held responsible by reason of